Jan Burrell, 62, had been suffering with migraines for years, but put it down to her age
A grandmother who turned short-tempered and forgetful discovered her sudden personality change was caused by a brain tumour. Jan Burrell, 62, had endured migraines for years, but blamed them on getting older.
However, in January 2021 she became “short-tempered and angry and didn’t recognise” herself. During a brief stroll to the chemist she lost part of her sight and her speech, with a dash to A&E revealing she’d suffered a seizure caused by a brain tumour the size of a fist.
Jan was diagnosed with meningioma and had a craniotomy to remove most of the growth. The grandmother now lives with quadrantanopia – permanent sight loss – in a quarter of her visual field and requires annual scans to monitor the remaining tumour.
Jan, who previously operated a cleaning and gardening business, from Stroud, Gloucestershire, said: “In 2019 I started to notice I was becoming forgetful. Only to remember suddenly that I hadn’t locked up the houses after I cleaned them and turning back to secure them.
“As a person I had always had the attitude of getting on with things and so I pushed this new behaviour to the side and didn’t bother telling my husband, Steve. There were many things I thought it could be, old age or perhaps the beginning of Alzheimer’s.
“For years I had suffered with migraines, one time having a meltdown. Although Steve was reassuring, I was sure there must be something wrong with me.
“Years later in January 2021 I felt that same sense of losing control I had experienced years before. I became short-tempered and angry and didn’t recognise myself.”
Jan had not long relocated from Cornwall to Gloucestershire and had “lost confidence” to leave her home. However, a seizure in February 2022 exposed her tumour.
She recalled: “Steve encouraged me on a walk to the chemist, which was 10 minutes away. On the way, I lost part of my vision, half of my world went black. I marched on at a speed which meant Steve struggled to catch up.
“When it was my turn to speak at the counter there was the sound of only a grunt, no sentence or even words. I couldn’t understand why I was there.
“Feeling embarrassed, I went outside. Upset and unsteady on my feet, I was able to say a few words, but kept repeating myself. I burst into tears through fear of what my body was doing, no longer under my control.”
Jan was quickly taken to A&E at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, believing she was suffering a stroke. She was then transferred to Southmead Hospital in Bristol, where a CT scan and additional tests revealed she had a brain tumour the size of a fist.
Jan said: “The doctor sat me down and said the words ‘you have a brain tumour’. All I remember is shouting ‘no!’ at the top of my voice.
“It never occurred to me that I could have a brain tumour, I was terrified. Suddenly I had a flood of thoughts, my grandchildren – I wouldn’t get the chance to see them grow up.”
Jan required surgery to remove her tumour, but was terrified she wouldn’t wake up or that life-altering injuries might prevent her from drawing and painting. She chose to write a book for her four-year-old grandson, Finn.
On May 12, 2022, Jan underwent a craniotomy at Southmead Hospital and surgeons successfully removed the tumour, which was found to be slow-growing. She now has annual scans to monitor the remaining tumour.
Jan said: “My recovery was hard. I needed strong medication, which caused hallucinations of things from my past. I now live with quadrantanopia, which is a loss of vision in one quarter of my visual field, and am under the care of an ophthalmologist.”
Despite this, Jan is now able to read her book – called Finn’s wonderful world – to Finn.
Jan said: “I wrote the entire story slowly, letter by letter, by hand and I never crossed anything out. It flowed straight from my heart to the page. I wanted to leave Finn something deeply personal, a message of wonder and joy, in case I wasn’t there to share it with him myself.”
It took three years for Jan and her husband, Steve, to save enough to get the book published. Every copy sold will raise vital funds for Brain Tumour Research, a charity close to their hearts.
Jan said: “This book has given me purpose and focus. Finn was just one when I had my surgery.
“Now he’s four and looks exactly like the boy I drew. To see him enjoy the story I created for him, it’s the most special gift. I poured my heart into it, and to know it’s helping fund vital research means everything to us.”
Letty Greenfield, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “Jan’s story is incredibly moving and a powerful reminder of the resilience and creativity that can come out of adversity. By sharing her journey and donating profits from her beautiful book, Jan is helping raise awareness and funding for a disease that remains hugely underfunded. We’re so grateful for her support and determination, it’s people like Jan who help us drive change.”
To get a copy of Finn’s wonderful world, where all proceeds go to Brain Tumour Research, visit JanBurrellArt on Etsy UK.